Bus rides and inner conversations
by phantom.ryder
Summary: Mildly Faith x Buff and Willow x Kenn. Set directly after Chosen. Buffy is feeling depressed and dejected while on the bus ride out of Sunnydale and finds herself comforted by an unlikely source in an unlikely manner. Somber mood, some humour. One shot.


Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of characters used. All are licensed to their respective owners. I am not making any money through authorship of this fic.

--

Buffy sat on her school bus seat and looked out the window. She was tired. So very tired of it all. They had won yet they had lost friends that were dear to them, allies that held arms against the forces of evil that she alone was previously destined to defeat.

Anya and Spike were gone. How many potentials shared their fate?

'Death was my destiny. Mine. Alone.' Thought Buffy with the last word lingering in her mind. 'It wasn't meant to be this way.'

Her eyes drifted over to Xander who looked like an empty shell. Dawn was with him, trying to take care of him like the brother he always was to her.

Kennedy was holding Willow but Buffy saw her redheaded friend's eyes also lingered on Xander.

'The whole thing was my idea. Was this my fault?'

Buffy's mind continued to torture her. Her physical wound ached like an elemental burn but at least for now, that pain could be sustained.

'Stage an all out battle against evil, great powers fighting against each other. I was stupid to think all those close to me would survive. That their powers were equal to the ones I was cursed with. Anya I'm so sorry. It shouldn't have been you. It should have been..'

'Hey B.'

'Faith?'

'What?'

'Faith what are you doing inside my head?'

'I dunno. Willow made me. Said I could help you.'

'Get out of my head Faith. Not a nice place to be right now.'

'Yeah you're telling me.'

'You were listening to my thoughts?!'

'Umm yeah.' Faith replied with a guilty tone. 'But Willow made me.'

'How can you be doing this anyway? Willow' power?'

'No. Ours. Willow just kind of hit an on switch or something. And hey presto, telepa-talk'

'It's just telepathy Faith. No talk at the end. What about the other girls?'

'No. Just ours. Yours and mine. I guess you have to be called the original way. '

Buffy sighed.

'My head hurts.'

'You want a massage?'

'Faith! Get outta my head. I hurt too much already.'

'You wanna sleep?'

'Yes. I want to sleep. I'm going to sleep now. Please leave my head.'

Buffy closed her eyes and she was immediately bombarded with visions of Anya and Spike.

She opened her eyes and was surprised to find Faith at her side.

"Faith. How did you get here so quickly?"

"Slayer." Faith said with a shrug. "Ok B. You can sleep now."

"No, I really can't."

Faith said silent for a while before finally deciding to say what she meant to from the beginning.

"Buffy, you need to stop being a moron."

The blonde gave her an incredulous look.

"I'm being a what?" 

"Moron."

"I'm not being a moron Faith how dare you repeat that!"

The other passengers on the bus looked at the two who were meant to be their leaders.

"B, I think we should have this conversation in your head." Faith whispered.

'No!!'

'There we go. That was an easy switch huh.'

'Faith! Why can't I scream at you?'

'Umm maybe I can explain?' started Willow.

'Willow!! No party in my head! I hurt you guys ok! I just hurt so leave me alone.'

'Buffy. Just talk to her. She'll help you. She'll understand.'

'No she won't!'

Faith cleared her throat.

'She's sitting right here.' Faith said.

Willow shot her an apologetic look from the front of the bus.

Buffy glared at her.

'Willow she called me a moron, how is that helping?'

'Faith, maybe that was a poor choice of words.'

'B only responds to poor choices of words. It's because she's a moron.'

'I am not!'

'Yes you are.'

'I think I'll leave now," said Willow.

'If you weren't a moron then you wouldn't be filling your own mind with all these useless thoughts. You think they honour your lost friends? You think they honour anyone? Feeling sorry for them is an insult to their memory.'

Faith took Buffy's hand in her own.

'Anya knew what the situation was, so did Spike. They knew our odds. The potentials share our destiny Buffy. Coveting that burden for ourselves doesn't save anyone. Honour them all. Remember them, they were heroes who gave their lives for the safety of their loved ones. They were not, in any case innocent bystanders who didn't know enough to get out of the way when the first wave came.' The brunette continued.

'Faith..'

The slayer in question suddenly leant over and gave the blonde a peck on the lips.

'Shh B, I'm think-talking.'

Buffy just nodded her head and took comfort in Faiths words and company.

Faith remained silent.

Buffy stared at her.

'Hey, I thought you were still talking.'

'Actually I don't really have anything else to say. I guess I just wanted to kiss you after all.'

"Oh, well, I don't think I mind," said the blonde with a smile. "Hey I can talk again." She mused.

Buffy then thought about Anya and Spike and the others and instead of apologising, thanked them for their sacrifices and promised she would never forget them.

--

Willow smiled at Faith and Buffy.

Kennedy looked from the two older slayers, then to her girlfriend, then back again.

"Is there something weird going on back there?"

"There's something alright." Willow replied.

Faith wrapped her arms around Buffy and the blonde settled into them.

'Willow just played match-maker didn't she?' Buffy thought, sending it to Faith.

'Not on purpose!' thought the redhead, sending it to the two comfy looking slayers.

'What are you two doing in my head?' thought Faith.

'Consider me gone.' Thought Willow.

Buffy gave Faith an odd look.

"Faith?"

"Hmm?"

"I didn't know you knew so many big words."

Faith smiled.

"That's ok B, it's cos you're a bit of a moron.

--

AN: Just a quick little fic. Please review if you enjoyed the read. Thank you for your time.


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